Brussels urges old Europe to let in new workers

The European Commission will today adopt a report listing economic arguments against restrictions to labour by most old EU member states for workers from central and eastern Europe.

Twelve European countries, except for the UK, Ireland and Sweden, introduced special arrangements before the eight new states, plus Cyprus and Malta, joined the union in 2004.

But social policy commissioner Vladimir Spidla argues that concerns over a potential inflow of new workers from the east, taki...